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Tigers Return to Comerica Park to host the Phillies, Nationals and White Sox

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Press Release |

The Tigers return home from All-Star break to begin an eight-game homestand at Comerica Park tomorrow night. The Philadelphia Phillies (July 26-28) will visit Comerica Park for their only visit to Detroit this season, the Washington Nationals (July 30-31) visit for a two-game series and the Chicago White Sox make their second visit to Comerica Park (August 2-4). First pitch for Friday and Saturday's games against the Phillies are 7:08 p.m. and Sunday's is 1:08 p.m. Tuesday's game against the Nationals begins at 7:08 p.m., while Wednesday's begins at 1:08 p.m. Friday and Saturday's games against the White Sox begin at 7:08 p.m. with the homestand concluding on Sunday at 1:08 p.m.

The national anthem will be performed by Ann Arbor native and Universal Republic Records recording artist, Mayer Hawthorne.

Friday Night Fireworks, courtesy of Pepsi. (Weather permitting)

Game Ball Delivery: Sergeant William Allen of the United States Army from Belleville, MI will deliver the game ball. He recently returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan and has proudly served the U.S. Army for four years.

Gloves for Kids "Weekend of Giving" begins with Friday's game and continues through Sunday. Each year the "Gloves for Kids" program conducts an in-park collection at Comerica Park asking fans to donate gently used or new baseball equipment. All equipment donations will benefit youth leagues in Michigan. The first 250 fans to donate each day will receive an oversized Max Scherzer baseball card.

Detroit Tigers 50/50 Charity Raffle: The Detroit Tigers Foundation 50/50 Charity Raffle continues at Comerica Park this season at every Friday and Saturday home game. The partner charity for this weekend is the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society. The mission of The Leukemia and Lymphoma Society is to cure leukemia, lymphoma, Hodgkin's disease and myeloma, and improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (LLS) has dedicated itself to being one of the top-rated voluntary health agencies in terms of dollars that directly fund the mission of LLS. 50/50 Charity Raffle volunteers are stationed throughout the ballpark in their orange 50/50 Raffle aprons, at entry gates and at the 50/50 raffle table near gate A to purchase raffle tickets. 50/50 Charity Raffle tickets are sold 3-for-$5. Each night a winner will be selected and announced after the sixth inning and will receive half of the funds collected through that game's raffle ticket sales. The remaining funds are shared between the Detroit Tigers Foundation and the select partner charity. To date, the 2013 50/50 Charity Raffle program has raised $72,135.00 for charity with the single largest one-game prize this season being $10,252.50.

Game Ball Delivery: Senior Airman John Sharrow of the United States Air Force from Westland, MI will deliver the game ball. He recently returned from his second tour of duty in Kuwait. During his service overseas, he earned two Air Force Achievement Medals and one Air Force Accommodation Medal. He has proudly served for four-and-a-half years.

The national anthem and "God Bless America" will be performed by Ariel, Zoey and Eli Engelbert, stars of the nationally syndicated children's musical variety program "Ariel & Zoey & Eli, Too."

All Sunday home games are Kids Days at Comerica Park. All kids 14-and-younger will receive a free promotional item as part of the "Every Kid, Every Sunday" giveaway guarantee, can enjoy free rides courtesy of Kroger on the Comerica Bank Carousel or the Fly Ball Ferris Wheel, can take part in free face painting, have the chance to win a bicycle and are invited down to the field for Kids Run the Bases courtesy of Aquafina and Meijer following the game. (Weather permitting)

Game Ball Delivery: Sergeant First Class Hank Belcher Jr. of the United States Army from Harrison Township will deliver the game ball. He recently returned from his first tour overseas in the Paktika Province of Afghanistan. While serving, he received a Bronze Star. He has served for 23 years.

· Scherzer's Superstars: Tigers pitcher Max Scherzer invites 16 fans to Comerica Park each Tuesday home game. As guests of Scherzer, the group watches batting practice on the field, receives complimentary Scherzer's Superstars t-shirts and has the opportunity to meet Scherzer. The participants in the program are matches from Big Brothers Big Sisters Metro Detroit. Through the program, Scherzer hopes to instill excitement for baseball with the youth and thank the mentors for volunteering their time to serve as a positive role model for the youth of the Detroit community.

· Willie Horton Batting for Kids: The 2013 Willie Horton's Batting for Kids took place at Comerica Park on Monday, July 1. The annual baseball challenge hosted over 450 Detroit area youth in a youth development, baseball skills competition promoting the enrichment of youth and recreational sports. The Baseball Challenge provided an opportunity for youth to showcase their abilities as well as learn new skills during a free, fun-filled day at Comerica Park. Participating youth competed for awards in three different skill areas including batting, throwing and base running. The top boy and girl in each age division are recognized during the on-field ceremony along with the event sponsors.

Cabrera's Chamitos : Tigers All-Star third baseman Miguel Cabrera invites 20 fans to Comerica Park for each remaining Wednesday home game as part of his Cabrera's Chamitos program. The group will watch batting practice from the field, receive complimentary Cabrera's Chamitos t-shirts and will have the opportunity to meet Cabrera. The group is also treated to complimentary transportation to Comerica Park by the FOX Sports Detroit Fan Express. This week Cabrera will welcome the Casa Maria Ligers baseball team will participate in the program. The program works with kids of all skill levels and play in the Detroit PAL Youth Baseball League 14U division.

Birmingham native, Detroit Country Day alum and NBA Champion Shane Battier of the Miami Heat will throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

Christmas in July: Why wait until December to celebrate the holiday season? Christmas in July returns to Comerica Park on Wednesday and is sure to be a holly jolly time! Musical entertainment for the special occasion includes Christmas music throughout the ballpark with the St. Paul Handbell Choir and the Salvation Army Brass Ensembles. Santa Claus will take a break from his North Pole Christmas preparations to stop at Comerica Park to pose for pictures at Gate A and participate in pre-game on-field activities and throw out the ceremonial first pitch! The Salvation Army ARC choir will sing the national anthem Christmas-themed floats, provided by the Parade Company, will also be on display on Witherell Street and inside the ballpark. There will also be a half-pipe in Columbia Plaza with Christmas-clad stunt performers. The "Prance Around the Park" on-field parade will take place prior to the game featuring the Salvation Army Day Campers followed by a dance performance by the elves from Tina Marie's Studio of Dance! Christmas in July is presented by The Parade Company, celebrating 87 years of parade tradition in Detroit.

The first 10,000 fans to enter Comerica Park receive a Detroit Tigers 2013 All-Star Poster, courtesy of U.S. Fish and WildlifeService.

Detroit Tigers 50/50 Charity Raffle: The Detroit Tigers Foundation 50/50 Charity Raffle continues at Comerica Park this season at every Friday and Saturday home game. The partner charity for this weekend is the Pancreatic Cancer Action Network. The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network is a nationwide network of people dedicated to working together to advance research, support patients and create hope for those affected by pancreatic cancer. 50/50 Charity Raffle volunteers are stationed throughout the ballpark in their orange 50/50 Raffle aprons, at entry gates and at the 50/50 raffle table near gate A to purchase raffle tickets. 50/50 Charity Raffle tickets are sold 3-for-$5. Each night a winner will be selected and announced after the sixth inning and will receive half of the funds collected through that game's raffle ticket sales. The remaining funds are shared between the Detroit Tigers Foundation and the select partner charity. To date, the 2013 50/50 Charity Raffle program has raised $72,135.00 for charity with the single largest one-game prize this season being $10,252.50.

Game Ball Delivery: Master Gunnery Sergeant James McMillion of the United States Marine Corps from Adams Friendship, Wisconsin will deliver the game ball. He recently returned from Afghanistan where he served a 12 month tour with the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force. He has also previously served in Desert Storm and Operational Iraqi Freedom. He has earned a Combat Action Ribbon, three Navy Commendations, 5 Navy Achievements and a Meritous Service Medal. He has served for 27 years.

·¡Fiesta Tigres! Celebration: The Tigers will host the eighth annual ¡Fiesta Tigres! Celebration, sponsored by Miller Lite, to recognize and honor the contributions of Hispanic and Latino players to the game of baseball. Current Tigers players with Hispanic or Latino heritage will be honored as part of the ¡Fiesta Tigres!celebration. The Tigers will host Juan Berenguer, a member of the 1984 World Series champion Detroit Tigers, who will be honored in a special pregame ceremony. McDonald's is teaming up with the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame to celebrate the contributions of Latino players to baseball. As part of the 2013 program,Juan Berenguer will be inducted into the Hispanic Heritage Baseball Museum Hall of Fame. The ¡Fiesta Tigres! pregame celebration will feature folkloric dance group Moyocoyani Izel and musical acts Mariachi Cora, Orchestra Sensacional, Tabcat Detroit, Los Primos, Sin Hielo and Mariachi Juvenil along with DJ Rob-Play NYC spinning a variety of Latino music. New to this annual event, Detroit Tigers player will wear a special alternate uniform with the Spanish translation of "Tigers" on the chest. The first 10,000 fans over the age of 21 will receive a ¡Fiesta Tigres! Player Banner, courtesy of Miller Lite. Don't miss out on this special celebration! No se pierdan esta celebración especial!

Recently retired anchor of WXYZ Channel 7, Bill Proctor, will throw the ceremonial first pitch prior to the game.

All kids 14-and-younger will receive an "Every Kid, Every Sunday" Austin Jackson poster, courtesy of Meijer.

SPECIAL INITIATIVES

Verlander's Victory for Veterans : When Justin Verlander takes the mound at Comerica Park, he strives for victory. This season, his outings on the hill take on a new meaning. For each of his home starts, Verlander will host Veterans from the John D. Dingell Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Detroit and the Veterans Affairs Ann Arbor Healthcare System. These Veterans sustained injuries or illness in Iraq during Operation Iraqi Freedom or in Afghanistan during Operation Enduring Freedom. The Veterans along with their families cheer on the Tigers from the comfort of Verlander's personal luxury suite. After serving our country, the special day provides American veterans the opportunity to enjoy a Tigers game with their family. All guests receive a Verlander's Victory for Veterans T-shirt and are welcomed on the video board during the game. Veterans also receive a personalized welcome letter from Verlander. When you see Verlander on the mound, he is not only playing for his team and Tigers fans around the world, he is also playing for America's heroes.